-
Another workflow question
Hi, I have a workflow question. I know lots of people talk about workflow and I have looked back to see if there was a previous thread that dealt with my particular question, but, I couldn’t find anything.
Anyway, I work in-house for a manufacturing company doing start to finish video production. We shoot the video raw on an Alexa XT, edit in Premiere Pro CC and After Effects CC, Color Grade in Resolve 10, and deliver on vimeo, youtube, and DVD.
My current work flow is as follows:
1) Film footage
2) Transfer and duplicate desired arri raw onto a pair of thunderbolt hard drives.
3) Grade the footage.
4) Export the footage using prores 4444 (depending on project size I will often do this over night)
5) Import the graded footage into premier and edit the footage.
6) Using dynamic linking do any needed work in After Effects (there is usually something)
7) Using dynamic linking do any needed sound editing in Audition.
8) Select and add the music.
9) Show for final approval.
10) Make any needed changes and repeat steps 9-10 until no changes are requested.This is the workflow I have been using for the past year, however, my boss has told me that he wants me to use a roundtrip process. I am reluctant to do so, however, I want to be sure my reluctance is due to real concerns instead of just clinging to what I know.
I have never used a roundtrip workflow so am not very familiar with the ins and outs. However, here are the 2 things that seem to make my workflow better for the situation.
1) I right away transcodes the arri raw into prores which is much easier for my system to handle. While I can play Arri raw in real time in premiere I can’t have any of programs that deal with graphics (such as photoshop or After Effects).
2) By having the full take graded, I never lose flexibility with my edit. From what I understand with a roundtrip workflow it will only export into smaller clips so if I want to extend one of my cuts a bit further I won’t be able to. Since my boss can and does come in and demand a change of anything at anytime, whether it be the grade or edit, maintaining this flexibility is very important. As for changing the grade, all I have to do is replace the indexed file and all instances of it in every program will have the new grade.
So is there an advantage to using a round trip workflow or disadvantages/problems with my current one?
-
1 Reply
-
[Reuben Isaac] “So is there an advantage to using a round trip workflow or disadvantages/problems with my current one?”
Your grade is dependent on your “best light” up front, whereas most workflows that use a best light will either opt for another grade using the current media, or re-link back to the original, so that the finished timeline can be graded in context. This may not matter so much if a very tight match is not so necessary.
jPo
“I always pass on free advice — its never of any use to me” Oscar Wilde.
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up